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1. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as a connector supporting mechanism of this kind, there is known a technique as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-21992. This prior art has a structure as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. A connecting mechanism of this conventional connector will be explained with using FIGS. 1 to 3 below.
This connector connecting mechanism comprises a holder 2 mounted into a mounting hole 1A formed in a mounting member (mounting plate) 1 such as a stay member of an automobile as shown in FIG. 1. The connector connecting mechanism further comprises, a first connector 3 which is slidably fitted in the holder 2 and a second connector 5 connected to an electronic unit 4. A swinging lever 6 for driving the second connector 5 into a direction to connect with the first connector 3 is turnably supported around a pivot 6A by the first connector 3.
The holder 2 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes a pair of upper and lower horizontal plates 7 and 8, and a pair of left and right side plates 9 and 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The holder 2 is inserted into the mounting hole 1A formed in the subject member 1 and fixed therein by fixing means such as screw. The side plates 9 and 10 of the holder 2 are formed at their inner wall surfaces with guide grooves 11 and 12 along the longitudinal direction for slidably guiding the first connector. The horizontal plate 7 is formed with a guide groove 13 with which an engaging pin 6B projecting from an upper surface of a rear end of the swinging lever 6 is engaged and guided. The guide groove 13 comprises an introducing portion 13A rearwardly extending from a front end of the holder 2, an arc driving grove portion 13B extending from an end of the introducing portion 13A rearwardly and inwardly, and a locking groove portion 13C extending from an end of the driving groove portion 13B rearwardly. The driving groove portion 13B guides the engaging pin 6B along an arc as the first connector 3 is inserted into the holder 2. With the motion of this engaging pin 6B, the swinging lever 6 swings.
An engaging groove 6C is formed in a lower surface of a front end of the swinging lever 6. A driven pin 5A projecting from the second connector 5 engages the engaging groove 6C. Another swinging lever 6 is also formed on the other side surface of the first connector 3. Another driven pin 5A (not shown) is also projecting from the other side surface of the second connector such as to correspond to the other swinging lever formed on the other side surface.
In FIG. 1, the reference symbol 3A represents a pair of slide projections projecting from a rear end of each of opposite sides of the first connector 3. The slide projections 3A are guided by the guide grooves 11 and 12 formed in the inner walls of the side plates 9 and 10 of the holder 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a temporarily mounting portion 3B for temporarily mounting the first connector 3 into a front opening of the holding is formed between each of the pair of the slide projections formed on both sides of the first connector
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of falling-out preventing projections 3C and 3C are projecting from each of the opposite sides of the rear end of upper and lower surfaces of the first connector 3. Falling-out preventing portions 2A are formed on the front end opening peripheral edges of the holder 2 so as to correspond to the falling-out preventing projections 3C and 3C. The projections 3C are fitted into temporarily mounting positions of the holder 2 for preventing the first connector 3 from falling out from the holder 2 by the falling-out preventing portions 2A.
However, according to the connecting mechanism of the connectors, it is necessary to mount the holder 2 to the mounting hole 1A formed in the mounting member 1 before the first connector 3 and the second connector 5 are mounted to the mounting member 1 such as a stay member of an automobile, and there is a problem that the number of parts is increased. Especially, in the prior art, since the swinging lever 6 is rotated and driven if the engaging, pin 6B engaged in the guiding groove 13 of the holder 2 is guided, it is necessary to precisely set size and shape of the guide groove 13 formed in the holder 2.
Further, according to the above-described conventional mechanism, in order to temporarily mount the first connector 3 to the holder 2 at an initial position of the inserting motion, it is necessary to form the temporarily mounting portion on the side of the first connector 3. As a result, it is necessary to form the temporarily mounting projection 2B also on the side of the holder 2 as shown in FIG. 3. In addition, in order to prevent the first connector 3 inserted into the initial position of the inserting motion from falling out from the holder 2, it is necessary to form the falling-out preventing projections 3C on the first connector 3, and to form the falling-out preventing portions 2A also on the side of the holder 2. In the conventional mechanism, since the temporarily mounting mechanism and the falling-out preventing mechanism are formed on each of the members, there is a problem that the mechanisms become complicated.
Therefore, according to the conventional connector connecting mechanism, since the number of parts is great and mechanisms are complicated, a mounting space is required, and the mounting operation is complicated. For these reasons, in the conventional engaging mechanism, there is a problem that the costs of parts and operational costs are high.
Further, the temporarily mounting portion 3B formed on the first connector 3 and the falling-out preventing portions 2A formed on the holder 2 are portions which are set such that they are resiliently deformed when the first connector 3 is inserted into the holder 2. There is an adverse possibility that these portion may be bent or damaged by strong external force caused when a wire harness connected to the first connector 3 is handled or when the holder 2 and the first connector 3 are assembled at improper position.
Further, in the conventional connector connecting mechanism, when the first connector 3 is inserted into the mounting member 1 such as a stay member of an automobile, it is necessary to fit the engaging pin 6B projecting from the rear end of the swinging lever 6. In the state in which the first connector 3 is inserted into the holder 2 in this manner, since the swinging lever 6 can swing freely, there are problems that some experience is required to insert the engaging pin 6B into the introducing portion 12A of the guide groove 13, and the assembling operation is complicated.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector supporting mechanism, and more particularly, to a connector supporting mechanism for supporting and fixing a pair of female and male mutually connected connectors to a supporting body.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive connector supporting mechanism capable of reducing the number of parts and an assembling operation can easily and reliably be carried out.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector supporting mechanism comprising
a mounting member,
a first connector supported by the mounting member, and
a second connector assembled to and electrically connected to the first connector to be mounted to said mounting member, wherein
the first connector comprises a connector body and an engaging lever pivotally supported by a rotation supporting shaft such that one end of the engaging lever project from one of end surfaces of the connector body, an engaging projection projects from the one end of the engaging lever, and a connecting projection projects from the other end of the engaging lever, the second connector is formed at its wall with a guide groove for guiding the connecting projection,
the connecting projection is guided in the guide groove to turn the engaging lever by fitting the first connector to the second connector in a temporarily mounting state in which the engaging projection is engaged with the mounting member, and the engaging projection is supported by the mounting member.
Therefore, according to the first aspect of the invention, the connecting projection is guided in the guide groove to turn the engaging lever by fitting the first connector to the second connector in a temporarily mounting state in which the engaging projection is engaged with the mounting member, and the engaging projection can be engaged with the mounting member reliably, and the second connector can be connected to the first connector reliably.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the mounting member comprises a mounting panel having a mounting opening, a sliding projection is formed at a position nearer to the rotation supporting shaft than the engaging projection formed on the one end of the engaging lever, the engaging, projection is engaged with a back surface of the mounting panel, and the sliding projection is engaged with a front surface of the mounting panel.
According to the second aspect, the temporarily mounting state is established by engaging the connecting projection inserted into the back surface of the mounting panel with the back surface of the mounting panel, and it is unnecessary to fix the first connector by separate fixing means. Further, since the mounting panel is sandwiched between the engaging projection and the sliding projection by engaging the sliding projection with the front surface of the mounting panel, the first connector can be strongly supported by the mounting panel.
According to a third aspect of the invention, in the above connector supporting mechanism, as the second connector is fitted to the first connector in a temporarily mounting state in which the engaging projection is engaged with the back surface of the mounting panel and the sliding projection is engaged with the front surface of the mounting panel, the connecting projection moves along the guide groove to turn the engaging lever, and the engaging projection comes into contact with the back surface of the mounting panel under pressure.
According to the third aspect, since the connecting projection is guided into the guide groove to turn the engaging lever by fitting the second connector to the temporarily mounted first connector, the first connector can be fixed to the mounting panel and both the connectors can be fitted to each other at the same time.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the above connector supporting mechanism, the engaging lever is provided on each of opposite surfaces of the connector body.
According to the fourth aspect, since the engaging lever is provided on each of opposite surfaces of the connector body (first connector), the first connector is stably temporarily mounted or fixed to the mounting panel which is a mounting member. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a connector supporting mechanism capable of stably and strongly connecting the assembling state.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in the above connector supporting mechanism, stoppers project sideways from opposite sides of the one end of the connector body, and resilient pieces are mounted to the other end of the stoppers.
According to the fifth aspect, since the one end of the connector body is provided at its opposite sides with stoppers and resilient pieces, it is possible to obtain load center of the resilient pieces and the sliding projections and therefore, it is possible to enhance the stability of holding force of the first connector in its temporarily mounted state.